The invention relates to a hitch assembly for coupling between an implement and an agricultural vehicle, and in particular a track-laying agricultural vehicle.
Various hitch mechanisms are available to connect an agricultural implement to an agricultural vehicle. One such known hitch mechanism is the conventional three-point hitch mechanism. However, conventional three-point hitches do not provide an implement steering function. There exists row guidance mechanisms (Acura-Trak) which provide an implement steering function, but such mechanisms do not provide a lateral shifting capability. A mechanism available from Wilcox includes an assembly which pivots about a vertical pin and therefore also do not provide a lateral shifting capability. This mechanism is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,697,454, issued Dec. 16, 1997 to Wilcox et al. There also exist row guidance mechanisms, such as the "Navigator", which provides a lateral shifting function, but not an implement steering function. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a hitch mechanism which has both an implement steering function and a lateral shifting capability. It is believed that a tracked agricultural vehicle would especially benefit from a having a hitch which could both steer and laterally shift an implement, so as to reduce lateral forces which the implement would otherwise transmit to the vehicle.